Today we’d like to introduce you to John Harrington.
Hi John, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
S.L.U.M.FEST originally started in 1999 as an underground movement for St Louis artists to showcase their music & increase their fan base through touring & merchandise.
In 2010 after the hip hop stage got flooded in the Elvis Room in the basement of Blueberry Hill during the RFT Music Festival. No effort was made to fix the unfortunate situation, so long time members of the hip hop scene decided to take matters into their own hands & create a Festival strictly for St. Louis underground hip hop.
Since then, S.L.U.M.FEST has put over 400 local artists on 20+ showcases & award shows over the last 16 years. Our hope is to help local artist reach a higher level of exposure & find greater opportunities through networking with other artist in the industry.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Our main struggle has always been outside forces trying to dictate how we operate & run our events & awards show.
Everyone has an opinion about who should be on our festival or who should nominated or who should win one of our hip hop awards for the best artists in the city.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We all work in different industries, but most of us are artists of some sort. Some of us rap, Paint, sing, DJ, do graphic design, & photography.
I think what we are most proud of is we’ve been able to mentor a whole generation of music artists who created a new St. Louis hip hop renaissance & solidified a music legacy for the next generation to cayy on.
What sets us apart is we do this for the love. We spend 300+ hours a year planning these events & we don’t get paid. We just genuinely want to see our culture thrive & grow.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Keeping the music going. It can save children & young adults from the calamities of the streets & give them a positive outlet to express themselves.
The result so far has be a community of families & friends creating amazing music & wonderful memories together..
Pricing:
- Slumfest 2026
- Saturday August 8th
- @ Atomic by Jamo
- All Ages / Doors @ 4
- $20
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.slumfeststl.com
- Instagram: @slumfeststl
- Facebook: Facebook/ slumfeststl
